Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences introduces complementary medicine programme  

With a surge of interest in complementary and alternative medicine, the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciencesis putting plans in place to roll out the Unani-Tibb Post Graduate diploma in 2011.

The programme, which will be the first qualification in complementary medicine to be introduced at CPUT, will be aimed at nurses with a primary healthcare qualification.

Recently Unani-Tibb experts from universities in India and Pakistan, who will assist with the implementation of the programme, visited CPUT.

Prof Rashid Bhika, from the South African Tibb Association who led the international delegation told CPUT staff members during a meeting on 7 May at the Bellville Campus, said they are looking forward to collaborating with CPUT.

Bhika said Unani-Tibb is based on the humoral and temperamental theory of Greek-Arabic Medicine. Unani-Tibb advocates that each individual should take responsibility for his or her wellbeing.

This they can do very effectively by choosing and regulating the type of food consumed, by correct breathing and sleeping habits, emotional management, exercise and the use of various alternative therapies or medicines.

The post-graduate diploma will provide additional diagnostic and cost effective treatment options that will enable nurses to manage illness conditions, especially chronic conditions more effectively.

Prof Anis Ahmad Ansari from Aligarh Muslim University in India said Unani-Tibb methods have already been implemented in many parts of the world.

Head of Nursing and Radiography Shafick Hassan said more South Africans are now combining complementary and alternative medicine with orthodox ‘western medicine’ for a broad range of conditions.

“Worldwide there is undeniably, a substantial swing away from orthodox medicine to the complementary and alternative medicine systems. Complementary and alternative medicine’s use is at an all-time high in the USA, Australia and the UK,” said Hassan.

Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Prof Dhiro Ghiwala, who met with the delegation, said they are looking forward to implementing this programme.

Unani-Tibb is the eleventh modality of the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA). The AHPCSA is responsible for regulating the practice and training of Complementary and Alternate Medicine (CAM) healing modalities, which includes amongst others, Homeopathy, Chiropractic, Chinese Medicine, Physiotherapy and Aromatherapy. By Candes Keating

Photo: Unani-Tibb experts from universities in India and Pakistan who met with CPUT representatives from the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences and Office of International Affairs.